15 Best OCD Books

If you or a loved one were recently diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), then you may be feeling overwhelmed or intimidated by the amount of information available. These books can help make sense of symptoms and offer solutions to common OCD-related problems.

Here are the top 15 books on obsessive compulsive disorder:

1. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Demystified: An Essential Guide for Understanding and Living with OCD, by Cheryl Carmin

Dr. Carmin’s thoughtful, compassionate writing helps demystify a lot of the fears and concerns of OCD. A clinical psychologist and OCD expert, Dr.Carmin helps readers understand their diagnosis and determine if they should seek treatment. This book is a good starting point for anyone affected by OCD.

2. Getting Over OCD, Second Edition: A 10-Step Workbook for Taking Back Your Life, by Jonathan S. Abramowitz, Ph.D.

This workbook is for those looking for a change; relief from symptoms like obsessive thoughts or compulsive behaviors. With exercises ground in cognitive-behavioral therapy and backed by the latest research, this workbook offers customized plans so you can better understand how OCD affects your body and what change can look like.

Many of the tools in this book can be downloaded multiple times, allowing readers to continue creating new habits and better practices.

3. The Imp of the Mind: Exploring the Silent Epidemic of Obsessive Bad Thoughts, by Lee Baer, Ph.D.

This book isn’t about overcoming OCD as much as it is about understanding it. Dr. Baer is a leading OCD expert who dives deep into the anxiety disorder that plagues millions of Americans.

By looking at the root of these ‘bad thoughts’ that are often the hallmark of the disorder, Dr. Baer offers an informative and comprehensive look at OCD while offering concrete solutions for friends, family, and those with the disorder.

4. Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts: A CBT-Based Guide to Getting Over Frightening, Obsessive, or Disturbing Thoughts, by Sally M. Winston, Ph.D., and Martin N. Seif, Ph.D.

Intrusive, obsessive thoughts aren’t just distressing; they can make someone feel like something is wrong with them for thinking such things.

If you struggle with knowing that your intrusive thoughts are just that – thoughts – then this guidebook is for you. Anxiety experts Sally M. Winston and Martin N. Seif offer CBT-grounded techniques to help you separate yourself from your thoughts and understand that they don’t reflect on you as a person.

5. Everyday Mindfulness for OCD: Tips, Tricks, and Skills for Living Joyfully, by Shala Nicely, LPC

Mindfulness, a calming technique used for a variety of mental health concerns, can also be a great companion to OCD treatment and therapy. If you’re looking for an OCD-specific plan, however, you’ll appreciate this one.

Everyday Mindfulness offers readers a chance to find self-compassion, live mindfully in the moment, and recognize their thoughts in a safe, compassionate way.

6. The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD: A Guide to Overcoming Obsessions and Compulsions Using Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, by Jon Hershfield MFT and Tom Corboy, MFT

Perfect for those who prefer a guided approach to mindfulness, this workbook is tailored specifically for those with OCD. Exercises offer tools to develop present-minded awareness, breaking intrusive thought cycles, and more.  It’s also rooted in CBT and updated with new information on OCD, making it a valuable resource for anyone struggling with the disorder.

7. Rewire Your OCD Brain: Powerful Neuroscience-Based Skills to Break Free from Obsessive Thoughts and Fears, by Catherine M. Pittman Ph.D., and William H. Youngs Ph.D.

Struggling to break free of the intrusive thought cycle? You’re not alone. A psychologist and a  neuropsychologist team up to deliver effective ways to break the cycle and understand how the OCD brain works. The brain is a powerful tool, they argue, and the more you actively reframe and recontextualize your thoughts, the more resilient your brain becomes.

8. Needing to Know for Sure: A CBT-Based Guide to Overcoming Compulsive Checking and Reassurance Seeking, by Martin N. Seif, Ph.D., & Sally M. Winston, Psy.D.

While not specifically designed for OCD, if you struggle with constantly checking things or repeatedly seeking confirmation from friends, relatives, and loved ones – symptoms similar to OCD – then this CBT-based guide may be a strong companion to ongoing OCD treatment or as a stand-alone read.

It can get easy to get into a reassurance trap; the more you do it, the more likely you’ll rely on reassurance in stressful situations. Authors Martin N. Seif and Sally M. Winston argue that breaking free of these habits can help you gain the confidence you need to move forward in your life.

9. Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD: A Scientifically Proven Program for Parents, by Eli R. Lebowitz, Ph.D.

Anxious children can pose difficult questions for parents; is it better to accommodate a child’s anxiety, possibly reinforcing their anxious behavior, or do they force their child to “tough it out,” hoping the anxiety will just go away with time?

For children with OCD and anxiety, neither is ideal. Dr. Lebowitz offers a more robust option: a concrete understanding of these disorders in children and how to reasonably approach both in ways that help children grow into healthy, confident adults. Learn how to talk with anxious children and avoid common pitfalls with guided, practical exercises and solutions.

10. Loving Someone with OCD: Help for You and Your Family, by Karen J. Landsman, Kathleen M. Rupertus, and Cherry Pedrick

This book works as an introduction to OCD – if a loved one or relative recently shared a diagnosis with you, start here. Learn the basics of OCD and treatment options, as well as how you can support someone with OCD in helpful and meaningful ways.

It also includes examples from real families dealing with OCD, as well as ways to accommodate their disorder, create action plans, and more.

11. The OCD Workbook: Your Guide to Breaking Free from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, by Bruce M. Hyman and Cherlene Pedrick

The OCD Workbook offers easy-to-use coping strategies and techniques to anyone with persistent obsessive thoughts and/or time-consuming compulsions, including people with body dysmorphic disorder and trichotillomania. Written by Bruce M. Hyman and Cherlene Pedrick, this workbook is endorsed by hospitals and clinics all over the world. It also includes information for family members and loved ones who are trying to understand the ins and outs of OCD. Used on its own or in addition to therapy, The OCD Workbook offers scientifically-tested strategies that are in line with the methods of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

12. Obsessive, Intrusive, Magical Thinking, by Marianne Eloise

Author Marianne Eloise says that she always felt “like a raw nerve,” but then again, she thought everyone did. Obsessive, Intrusive, Magical Thinking is a glimpse into Eloise’s mind. It offers insight into the lives of people with OCD and explores the intersection between neurodivergence, disorder, and fixation. From the big picture to smaller details, this book is a great resource for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of what it is actually like to live with OCD, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or autism.

13. Because We Are Bad: OCD and a Girl Lost in Thought, By Lily Bailey

Because We Are Bad is a powerful, lyrical memoir about one woman’s childhood struggle with OCD, and her long, hard-earned journey to healing and recovery. Author Lily Bailey says that by the time she turned thirteen, she was convinced she was a bad person. The only way to “make up” for the things she thought she had done – e.g., “killed someone with her thoughts” – was to complete a series of endless secret routines and rituals. Looking back, Bailey describes the trajectory of her disorder and her life, telling a harrowing and illuminating tale of suffering, resilience, and a refusal to acquiesce to society’s version of “normal.”

14. Pure O Ocd: Letting Go of Obsessive Thoughts with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, by Chad Lejeune PhD

Chad Lejeune, PhD, wrote “Pure O” OCD as a guide to help people obsess less, overcome fears, feel more grounded, and reflect on their personal values. Pure obsessional OCD is actually a subtype of the disorder that is characterized by intrusive thoughts, images, and urges without any sort of visible compulsive symptoms. Instead, it involves “hidden” compulsions like avoidance, thought rituals, and reassurance seeking. Using strategies found throughout acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), Lejeune’s book helps readers break the cycle of fear, compulsion, and anxiety using five steps: label, let go, accept, practice mindfulness, and proceed with purpose.

15. Don’t Believe Everything You Think: Why Your Thinking Is The Beginning & End Of Suffering, by Joseph Nguyen

Don’t Believe Everything You Think, written by Joseph Nguyen, teaches readers to overcome self-doubt and self-sabotaging tendencies without needing to lean on limiting concepts like willpower or motivation. Instead, Nguyen says that achieving freedom from obsessive thoughts can be effortless, and although pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. In this paradigm-shifting book, you will learn how to be unaffected by negative thoughts and feelings, how to break free from negativity loops, and how to experience unconditional love, joy, and peace, no matter what your external circumstances look like.

When to See a Therapist for OCD

If you or someone you know suffers from OCD, then you know how debilitating it can be if left untreated. You don’t have to go at it alone – a trained therapist can help you address your symptoms and create new, healthy habits about your thought process. Find a therapist near you today.